Trump imposes 50% tariff on Indian goods

Trump, the U.S. president, carried out his threat to double tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent—an action that could jeopardize relations with one of Washington’s most important trading partners.

This move comes only a few weeks after Trump had imposed a new 25 percent base tariff on Indian goods.

The duties imposed on India—the world’s fifth-largest economy—are now among the highest tariffs the United States has applied to any country.

Trump had previously stated that the new round of tariffs on India was meant to punish the country for importing Russian oil.

American companies and consumers are already experiencing higher costs from Trump’s tariff campaign, while the health of the labor market has been deteriorating; the increase in tariffs on Indian goods could further intensify both effects.

Meanwhile, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rejected four phone calls from U.S. President Donald Trump in recent weeks, as trade tensions over additional tariffs on Indian goods due to Russian crude oil purchases continue to rise.

A similar report published by Japan’s Nikkei Asia also pointed to the rapid deterioration of U.S.–India relations, despite both governments previously describing their partnership as “the most important partnership of the 21st century.”